Tag Archives: The Lego Movie

BY TIM BARLEY AND MIKE REYES

Newcomers take the box office by storm! Nonstop stops at third place

It was a big weekend for a big movie. Monday might be a dirty word for most of you Mixers out there, but for the studios it can go either way. In the case of this weekend, Warner Brothers and Foxare allowed to breathe a sigh of relieve. The former is just continuing its fairly formidable stride, where as the latter finally scored a hit with the family audience they’ve been pandering to pretty hard.

BY TIM BARLEY AND MIKE REYES

This week at Cocktails and Movies: It feels like May with a smart dog and Spartan might!

Hey Mixers! Happy Friday to you one and all. Last weekend saw set ups and upsets as Son of God managed to miracle itself a second place finish, while Liam Neeson gave himself another hyperbolic nickname as Non Stop proved to be exactly as the title said (at least in its box office placing… the reviews have been less than forgiving.) It wasn’t a very challenging weekend, but it was an effective victory for two films that knew their audience.

This weekend is going to be just a little bit harder to top though. On a scale of one to ten, we’re going to wager a guess that this weekend is going to be a 300. That is, if our audiences don’t go to the Dog. Pun-(ishment) aside, it’s time to chart the weekend and sail into our Flicks to Pick.

Our Take: Much like Robocop (2014), this is one of those ideas we weren’t so sure about when announced, but started to turn around on when we saw the first trailers. The visual style is in tact, some of the cast have returned, and Zach Snyder was involved from day one as a Producer. Call us crazy, but this looks like it could be something to get excited about.

Not a bad weekend, but it is still a March weekend. Maybe this week’s pickings will push the numbers up to more exciting altitudes? Only one way to find out! But first, let’s serve up our office picks:

Mike’s Pick:Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Let’s get one thing straight: I’m amped for both films in this weekend’s queue. I want to do a 3D double feature with some light Popcorn and a flask of the good stuff, that’s how excited I am. (Note to Self: have flask repaired due to Oscar night damages.) However, if I’m going to pick one of the two, I’m going for the movie that’s assembled some of the finest comedic players to roam the Earth (Mel Brooks and Stephen Colbert are in the same movie, people!), based on a cartoon premise I love with all of my geeky little heart.

Tim’s Pick: Mr. Peabody goes to Sparta!

Yes, here I am! Installing an new cocktail bar (with taps that dispense ridiculously strong cocktails right from the tap) is harder than it appears! So, I’m open all weekend and I’m going to double feature this weekend, with maybe a triple if I can find The Grand Budapest Hotel.

– C&M –

Manhattan Mike mixes this week’s Pitcher of Prognostication, so he’ll try not to water it down. Here’s this weekend’s Top 5:

You don’t need to be a talking dog to know kids are going to flock to this. Although if you are, contact your local cinema. They’ll probably pay you a boatload to advertise.

Estimated Weekend: $32 million

3. Non Stop

Because Liam Neeson is a hard man to kill!

Estimated Weekend: $19 million

4. The LEGO Movie

This isn’t going away any time soon, is it?

Estimated Weekend: $15 million

5.Son of God

Seriously! Do you people not have Libraries with access to History’s “The Bible”? Or does a blessing on the big screen count for extra? I mean, this is Lent, so there has to be a multiplier of some sort.

Estimated Weekend: $12 million

– C&M –

And with that, our first weekend in March is predicted, and consequences be damned, that’s what we feel will take place. Anybody agree/disagree with this weekend’s picks? Send us some competition in the Comments section below, or on Facebook or Twitter.

We’ll see you again this Monday, when we’ll be travelling back in time to shuffle the deck of History a little. (All we’ll say about that is be gentle… it’s our first time hosting the Oscars.) Until next time, treat your movies like your booze: drink and view responsibly.

BY TIM BARLEY AND MIKE REYES

The LEGO Movie builds into a bona fide hit, while Monday shocks us with bad news

Sorry we’re late today, everyone. As you are no doubt aware already, very sad news has hit Hollywood today. The man who gave us some of the funniest movies, either as a writer, director, producer or actor such as Meatballs, Stripes, Animal House, Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters, Vacation and more, Harold Ramis, died today at the age of 69. Most remember him as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and his scientific description of the supernatural energy in NYC vis-a-vis a Twinkie. He was a brilliant writer/director and actor and we all dare you to say you haven’t seen a movie that Harold Ramis was attached to. So, pour out a bit of your cocktail, people. Harold Ramis, you will be missed…

As for the weekend wrap, we’ve got some good news and bad news for you, Mixers.

BY TIM BARLEY AND MIKE REYES

This week: Who threatens The LEGO Movie – Volcanoes or Terrorists?

Do you hear that sound, Mixers? That’s the sound of our East Coast gang preparing to take their seats for our first East Coast event of the year! AMC Theaters’ Best Picture Showcase is upon us once more, and the Eastern branch is going out to evaluate this year’s crop of “Best” pictures. It’s not all Prestige this weekend though, as two possible crowd pleasers are aiming to take the crown from everyone’s favorite kid’s movie since Frozen, The LEGO Movie. Something for children, something for grown-ups, something for everyone in today’s Flicks To Pick. Still, look for the huge word-of-mouth BLOCK-buster to remain at number one this weekend.

by Mike Reyes

I’d rather buy a freestyle LEGO set with the money spent seeing this disappointing, but mildly entertaining, kids’ film.

Emmett (Chris Pratt) is a normal Lego guy, in a normal Lego world. A world where President Business (Will Ferrell) owns everything, runs everything, and tells everyone to “follow the directions.” Unfortunately for him, this world seems to have forgotten he’s existed… at least until he’s found the “Piece of Resistance:” a piece with power foretold by Vetruvius (Morgan Freeman) to be the key to unlocking the world of conformity around them all. With the help of WyldStyle (Elizabeth Banks), Batman (Will Arnett), and a cast of standard “wacky, zany characters,” Emmett just might foil Lord Business’s plans to lock the world into a permanent status quo.